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Your Palatine Personal Injury Attorney
The short answer. In Illinois most injury claims must be filed within two years (735 ILCS 5/13-202). The Circuit Court of Cook County hears injury suits over $100,000 in its Law Division at the Daley Center, 50 W. Washington Street, Room 2600, Chicago, IL 60602; the Clerk of the Circuit Court lists five suburban district courthouses (Skokie, Rolling Meadows, Maywood, Bridgeview and Markham) for civil suits up to $100,000. To talk it through, send the form on this page and we will work to connect you with an attorney in our network.
An injury changes the pace of your days. Medical visits, paperwork and worry about money can crowd out everything else. If you were hurt in Palatine because of another person’s actions, this page explains how Illinois treats injury claims so you can plan your next step.
This page is general information, not legal advice. NeedAnAttorney.net matches people with attorneys and does not represent anyone. The legal points below come from Illinois’s statutes, and the form at the top of the page is how you reach an attorney.
Before You Hire: Questions For A Palatine Attorney
Ask these in any first conversation:
- The deadline. Ask the attorney to name the exact last day to file for your claim. The general limit for injury claims in Illinois is two years (735 ILCS 5/13-202).
- Your share of fault. Ask how a finding that you were partly responsible would change the numbers (735 ILCS 5/2-1116).
- Limits on damages. Ask whether any rule restricts the amount you could recover in Illinois.
- The money terms. Ask how fees are calculated and which costs come out of a recovery.
- Who will work on it. Ask who handles your file day to day and how fast messages are answered.
Personal Injury Types of Cases
Premises Liability
Many premises liability claims are from a property owner’s duty to maintain a property in the way that does not endanger others. There are may ways a property owner can violate this duty.
- Broken Stairs
- Unlit alleyways
- Slippery Floors
- Surfaces that are uneven
- Places to receive burns
- Places to receive chemical exposure
- Dog bites
- and other dangerous conditions
Work Place Accidents
These types of personal injury lawsuits involve more that just a employee and employer. If you feel like your place of employment was negligent in some way, you might have a claim for compensation. These types of accidents can include.
- Slip and Fall
- Unsafe working conditions
- Unmaintained equipment
- Auto Accidents
- Death
- Electrical Hazards
- Occupational illnesses like COPD, contagious diseases, and asbestosis
- personal injuries at work
Wrongful Death
When negligence leads to fatal injuries, a wrongful death suit can help the surviving family members hold the negligent company, persons, and or person accountable for what was done. A wrongful death case can involve different types of compensation from other personal injury claims. After a fatal accident, family members can ask an attorney to review what compensation the surviving loved ones may have a right to. These types of accidents can include.
- Auto Accident
- Maritime Accident
- Drowning
- Electrocution
- Falls
- Helicopter Accident
- Fire
- Firearm
- and other types of wrongful deaths
Motor Vehicle Accidents
As long as the person that was operating the vehicle that injured you was negligent in some way, you can could have a claim for compensation. This can include.
- Car Accidents
- Truck Accidents
- Bicycle Accidents
- 18 wheeler Accidents
- Motorcycle crashes
- Drunk Driving
- Distracted Driving
- Aggressive Driving
- and other types of motor vehicle accidents
Injured in Palatine? Get matched with an attorney now.
Your Own Share Of The Blame
An insurer may stress your own mistakes, and in Illinois the percentage it can attach to you matters. 735 ILCS 5/2-1116 sets the rule.
You can recover if your share of the fault is 50 percent or less, and your award is reduced by your share; above 50 percent the claim is barred (735 ILCS 5/2-1116). Photographs, witness names and medical records help show where the fault lies.
When The Clock Starts And Stops
The general time limit for an injury claim in Illinois is two years (735 ILCS 5/13-202). A child may have more time, and a few other limited situations extend the period too (735 ILCS 5/13-211(a)).
A wrongful death claim follows its own rules, so ask which date applies (740 ILCS 180/2). Ask in your first conversation which date applies to your claim.
Courts and Hospitals Near Palatine
Cook County is the county the Census Bureau assigns to Palatine. For Cook County, the Clerk of the Circuit Court lists the Daley Center at 50 W. Washington Street, Room 2600, Chicago, IL 60602 for injury suits over $100,000 and five suburban district courthouses for civil suits up to $100,000. The Illinois Department of Public Health, EMS and Trauma Program list of trauma centers names Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, in Cook County, as a Level I trauma center. That list also names Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center in Chicago, in Cook County, as a Level I trauma center. The same list also names Advocate Sherman Hospital in Elgin, in Kane County, as a Level II trauma center.
The three Illinois acute care and critical access hospitals nearest Palatine in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Hospital General Information file, measured in a straight line from the town’s coordinates, are Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights, 4.4 miles, an acute care hospital; St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates, 6.9 miles, an acute care hospital; and Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village, 8.0 miles, an acute care hospital. The street address of Northwest Community Hospital is 800 W Central Road, Arlington Heights, IL 60005.
These figures are straight line distances, so the drive from Palatine is longer. Whichever provider treated you, request your complete records and an itemized bill, and keep a list of every appointment.
Further down the same list are Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital in Barrington (8.6 miles) and Advocate Lutheran General Hospital in Park Ridge (11.4 miles). The file lists 4 Illinois acute care and critical access hospitals within 10 miles of Palatine, 36 within 25 miles and 66 within 50 miles, all in a straight line.
Other places this site covers near Palatine: Arlington Heights at 3.4 miles southeast, Schaumburg at 6.5 miles south, Mount Prospect at 6.6 miles southeast. The reference cities are 27 miles southeast (Chicago) and 181 miles southwest (Springfield).
Reaching Out For Help In Palatine
The form at the top of this page is the starting point. NeedAnAttorney.net reviews your details and works to match you with an attorney in our network who may handle cases in Illinois. It costs nothing to use and does not commit you to anything.
Meanwhile, jot down the facts while they are fresh: date, time, place, who was there, what care you have had and what work you have missed. Save every bill and every message from an insurer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Illinois put a ceiling on pain and suffering?
The amount depends on the facts of your claim, so ask an attorney whether any rule limits it in your case. Medical bills and lost income are handled separately from pain and suffering. An attorney can tell you which rules apply to your facts.
Is the other driver’s policy enough to cover my injuries?
At least $25,000 for injury to one person, $50,000 for injury to two or more people in one accident and $20,000 for property damage (625 ILCS 5/7-203). A crash with several injured people can use up limits quickly. It helps to learn early what other coverage may exist.
Which hospital is closest to Palatine?
Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights is the closest Illinois acute care or critical access hospital on the federal hospital list, 4.4 miles away in a straight line, an acute care hospital. St. Alexius Medical Center in Hoffman Estates is 6.9 miles away and Alexian Brothers Medical Center in Elk Grove Village is 8.0 miles away. In an emergency call 911 first; not every hospital has an emergency room.
Which other places near Palatine does this site cover?
By Census coordinates the nearest are Arlington Heights, 3.4 miles southeast; Schaumburg, 6.5 miles south; and Mount Prospect, 6.6 miles southeast, all in a straight line from Palatine.
Does the form commit me to hiring anyone?
There is no fee for the form. Many injury attorneys work on a contingency fee, which means they are paid from a recovery. Ask to see the fee agreement in writing before you sign.
How long does an injury settlement take?
It varies with the injury and the insurer. Claims often wait until your condition is clear and the total losses are known. A lawsuit adds time.
Is there a deadline for suing after an accident in Illinois?
Generally two years (735 ILCS 5/13-202). A child may have more time, and a few other limited situations extend the period too (735 ILCS 5/13-211(a)). Write down the date of the injury now.
Does it matter that I was partly to blame?
The rule: you can recover if your share of the fault is 50 percent or less, and your award is reduced by your share; above 50 percent the claim is barred (735 ILCS 5/2-1116). How the blame is assigned matters. Keep notes about how the injury happened.
Injury Attorney Pages For Other Illinois Communities
The same matching service covers more of Illinois. Pick the community closest to where it happened.
